5 things to watch in the Chicago Bears-Washington Commanders game — plus our Week 5 predictions
The Chicago Bears will try to halt their 14-game losing streak when they visit the Washington Commanders for “Thursday Night Football.”
The game comes just four days after the Bears dropped to 0-4 after blowing a 21-point second-half lead against the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, the Commanders (2-2) are coming off an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
As kickoff approaches at FedEx Field, here’s our snapshot look at the game.
Players in the spotlight
The Bears offensive line
The Commanders have a formidable front four of defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen and defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young. The quartet has combined for 8 1/2 sacks and 19 quarterback hits.
That makes for a big challenge for the Bears offensive line and quarterback Justin Fields, who has been sacked 17 times this season.
“Guys are just going to have to be great on double teams, sustain blocks for a long time and really just protect,” Fields said. “We know everything kind of starts with the O-line. They know they’re going up against a talented group, but they’re excited because it’s an opportunity for them to go out there and ball out.”
Right guard Nate Davis called it “a good challenge” going up against “one of the toughest defensive lines in the league.”
Davis returned to play against the Broncos after a two-game absence as he grieved the death of his mother. Davis said there was “no clear-cut answer” as to when he was mentally ready to play again.
“Everyone handles it differently,” Davis said. “For me, it’s just being able to talk to the guys, talk to my family and just take it one day at a time because it’s tough, for sure.”
He said the coaches also offered him support as he made the decision about when to return.
“Just being able to really just air out everything I’m feeling and them just taking it all in and giving me the right approach and telling me the right things too,” Davis said. “I’m really grateful for this team just being there for me through everything.”
While Davis is back, the Bears still will be without starting left tackle Braxton Jones, who is on injured reserve with a neck injury. Left guard Teven Jenkins has been designated to return from IR, but coach Matt Eberflus said they would decide Thursday whether he will be able to play following a short practice week.
Keep an eye on …
The Bears pass rushers
No quarterback has been sacked more this season than the Commanders’ Sam Howell, who has been taken down 24 times for 156 yards lost. The Buffalo Bills sacked him nine times in a 37-3 victory in Week 3.
Those stats have to look sweet to the Bears defense, which has totaled a league-low two sacks. Yannick Ngakoue had one in the opener, and Zacch Pickens and Dominique Robinson shared another Sunday.
“I feel like this Thursday night we can spark something special,” Ngakoue said. “We’re just going over the game plan, we’re definitely evaluating tape and seeing what we can do better, but I’m still optimistic. I’m very excited to see what this group can really do.
“We have to remind ourselves about getting off the ball, being able to play fast and physical, and those opportunities will present themselves.”
The Bears could benefit from making life difficult for Howell up front given they again will be playing a young secondary that includes rookie cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith, who will fill in for injured Jaylon Johnson.
The young duo takes on Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin, who was 10th in receiving yards last season with 1,191 and leads the team this year with 21 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown. Curtis Samuel is second with 17 catches for 178 yards.
“(Stevenson and Smith) look like it’s not too big for them,” cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke said. “They’re pretty composed. They have a lot of confidence in themselves, and we have a lot of confidence in them. I thought they held up good (against the Broncos). They went in there with the right mindset. Obviously the end result wasn’t what we wanted, but as long as they keep improving, that’s going to be a big thing for them.”
Pressing question
Can Justin Fields and the Bears offense build on their performance against the Broncos?
Fields had the best game of his career against the Broncos before the Bears’ fourth-quarter collapse, finishing 28-for-35 for 335 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver DJ Moore had eight catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. And running back Khalil Herbert had 18 carries for 103 yards and four catches for 19 yards and a touchdown.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy also highlighted the Bears getting some explosive plays in the run game, with Herbert breaking for 24- and 21-yard gains. It’s something the Bears hope they can continue, even against better defenses.
“There’s a lot of momentum going from what we did, especially what (Fields) did, in the first half, putting up the numbers we put up,” Moore said. “That’s something to build on always.”
Now the Bears are not only trying to replicate the production but also figuring out how to finish after their fourth-quarter collapse, which included two Fields turnovers.
“Just keep going at them,” tight end Robert Tonyan said of finishing. “Speaking offensively, just not letting a defense dictate what we run. Just keep going at them and keep our foot on the pedal and just continuously running the same thing throughout the four quarters.”
The heat is on
Eberflus’ job status has been a hot topic of conversation in Chicago this week following the Bears’ winless start and multiple off-the-field issues, including the resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams and wide receiver Chase Claypool being asked to stay away from the team.
Eberflus, who also was scrutinized for his late-game decisions against the Broncos, is aware of the talk.
“I’ve been doing this 32 years, so I understand the business, but I understand that to do it right you’ve got to focus on your job, and you’ve got to focus on right here, right now,” he said. “So you can think about a lot of different things. That’s going to do nobody good. You can focus on your job and where your feet are right now. Our sole focus is on Washington.”
Eberflus said he hasn’t spoken with any of the Bears higher-ups about his job security but said he does “feel the support.” He said the Bears are in the process of bringing together a team with many new players.
“I don’t see it as a challenge,” he said of leading this group. ”I see it as really being a servant leader. They’re here to help everybody else. That’s an important part of this job, to be able to guide and direct, and we’re in the process of that. Last week I said we did a nice job of that. We stepped in the right direction and we’re looking to step in the next direction coming into Washington.”
Injury report
The Bears again will be without Johnson (hamstring) and safety Eddie Jackson (foot). Second-year safety Jaquan Brisker was listed as questionable after he was limited in practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury.
The Bears signed 11th-year veteran safety Duron Harmon this week off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad. Eberflus said the Bears liked the experience and stability Harmon could bring to the defensive backs room.
But Eberflus didn’t say if Harmon could be ready to play after just a couple of days with the team if Brisker is out.
“Harmon just got here, so we’ll see where it goes in terms of his mental prep,” Eberflus said. “But we’ve been working on that the last couple of days here, so we’ll see where it is.”
Jenkins also was listed as questionable, and Eberflus said they would work him out Thursday to see where he’s at. The Bears have extra practice time before Week 6 to get players up to speed if they can’t go this week.
As Eberflus announced Monday, Claypool also is out this week after the Bears asked him to stay home because he has failed to meet team expectations.
For the Commanders, only running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. was listed as questionable with an illness.
Predictions
Brad Biggs (3-1)
The last three quarterbacks the Commanders faced — Russell Wilson, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts — hurt the defense at critical times with long runs, and Justin Fields rushed for 88 yards in the Week 6 meeting at Soldier Field last season in which he really started to get going on the ground. The Bears will hope to build momentum on Fields’ 335-yard passing effort against the Broncos. But the Commanders have arguably the best defensive line the Bears will face all season, and quarterback Sam Howell should be able to make explosive plays with a talented cast of receivers against a depleted secondary.
Commanders 27, Bears 20
Colleen Kane (3-1)
The Bears need this win so badly coming off the blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and then the heartbreaking collapse against the Denver Broncos. A victory could calm some of the discontent — and maybe some of the questions about coaches’ job security — throughout the city. And the Bears could head into the mini-bye with some mental peace as they also try to get healthier heading into other winnable games in October. But the Commanders defensive line could make life difficult for Justin Fields and the Bears offense, threatening to hinder the progress the unit made against a bad Broncos defense. And the Bears defense still will be without multiple starters in the secondary. That might not be a recipe for a win.
Commanders 26, Bears 24
Dan Wiederer (3-1)
The Bears are on the road in a short week with a depleted secondary and the weight of a 14-game losing streak. The Commanders, meanwhile, have a disruptive defensive front that can make life difficult for the Bears offensive line and, by extension, quarterback Justin Fields. Until further notice and until the Bears prove they have found a finishing touch, it’s hard to pick them. Here’s to keeping it close and then getting a much-needed reset over the weekend.
Commanders 27, Bears 23
